Velocipede.



No. 659,32l. Patented on. 9, I900. j

v J. PRESTON.

VELOGIPIEDE.

(Apphmtion flied Nov. 14, 1899.) (No mod m" 2 $heets8heat l.

WITNESSES D p INVENTOR- 5%m' a M )Wmgg v A 770/?NEYS No. 659,32l. Patented Oct. 9, I900.

J. PRESTON.

VELOGIP'EDE.

(Application filed Nov. 14, 1899.). (No Model.) 2 Sheets-sheaf 2.

A Wok/v5 rs THE Nonms PETERS w, Pmrrmu rm.v WASHINGTON, q. 0.

UNITED STATES JAMES PRESTON, OFTUOKAHOE, NEW YORK.

PATENT OFF CE.

VELOGIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,321, dated October 9, 1900.

Application filed November 14, 1899. Serial No. 736,951. (No model.)

zen of the United States,residing at Tuckahoe,

in the county of Westchester and Stateof New York, have invented a new and Improved'Ve-' locipede,of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to tricycles, bicycles, and other vehicles; andits object is to provide a new and improved velocipede in which the riders weight is utilized to propel the vehicle at a high rate of speed, if desired, and at the same time give the rider a uniform, thorough, and healthful exercise of the legs, as well as the body.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement arranged as a tricycle. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation of the same. Fig.4 is a sectional plap view of the same on the line 4 4 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the auxiliary frame.

The improvement hereinafter to be described in detail is shown in the drawings as applied to a tricycle having the front or steering wheel A and the rear or driving wheels B secured on the axle B, said front or steering wheel A being journaled in the usual fork O of a diamond frame 0, having the rear upper fork 0 formed with bearings for the axle B to turn in. An auxiliary frame D, made of two L-shaped spaced bars, is connected with the main frame 0 by having the horizontal members D of this auxiliary frame attached to the uniting piece or block 0 for the frame members, the junction of the horizontal members D and the vertical members D being formed with bearings for the axle B, the upper ends of the vertical members D being connected to a transverse pin E at the junction of the cent-er brace 0 the upper brace 0 and the rear upper fork 0 as is plainly shown in the drawings.

rear upper fork C The members of the auxiliary frame D are spaced apart and held in this position by suitable cross-bars D D D, of which the bar D is extended to connect with the members of the The horizontal members D of theauxiliary frame D are extended forward beyond the uniting piece or block 0 as indicated at D and carry at the forward ends a pivot for the f0ot-pedals, as hereinafter more fully described. The uniting-piece C is connected by the usual lower brace O with the steering-head.

0n the pin E is fulcrumed the middle portion of a seat-lever F, preferably made of two longitudinally-extending spaced plates connected with each other by suitable cross-bars, and on the rear portion of said seat-lever F is arranged a seat G, adapted to be occupied by the rider. The rear end of the lever F is also pivotally connected with downwardly-extending links H, connected with crank-arms I on a shaft J, mounted to turn in bearings in the vertical members D of the auxiliary frame D, as is plainly shown in the drawings.

On the shaft J, between the vertical members of the auxiliary frame D, is secured a sprocket-wheel J, connected by a sprocketchain J 2 with a sprocket-wheel J secured on the axle B, so that when the shaft J is rotated a rotary motion is transmitted by the sprocket-wheels J J and the sprocket-chain J to the axle B and the rear or drive wheels B to propel the vehicle forward or backward, according to the direction in which the shaft J is turned.

The forward end of the seat-lever F is pivotally connected by links K with pedal-levers L, extending outside of the horizontal members of the ahxiliary frame, and the forward ends of said pedal-levers are pivoted on a transverse pivot-pin N, carried in the forward ends of the horizontal members of theauxiliary frame, the pedal-levers extending rearwardly to be withinco'nvenient reachof the feet of the rider. 1

The links H and K have anadjustable connection with the seat-lever F, and'for this purpose the pivot-pins H and K for said links are adapted to be engaged with apertures F F respectively, formed in the lever F and spaced apart from the end toward the middle or fulcrum of the lever. The leverage of the lever F may thus be increased or diminished, as desired, hyadjusting the pivotpins H and K farther from or nearer to the pivotpin E for the seat-lever F. By the arrangement described the rear end of the seatlever F, carrying the seat G, is located directly above the crank-shaft J, and consequently the rocking of the lever F causes a direct and uniform transmission of the power from the leverF to the crank-arm I and shaft J by means of the links H.

In using the vehicle the riders weight is used for propelling purposes by the rider sitting alternately on the seat- G and standing on the pedal-levers L. The seating on the seat G takes place when the rear end of the seat-lever F is in an uppermost position, so that the weight of the rider on the seat G causes a downward swinging of the rear end of the lever, and consequently an upwardswinging motion of the front end of said lever to swing the pedallevers L upward. When the seat G nears a lowermost position, then the rider stands on the pedal-levers L, thereby lifting the weight. off the seat G, and as the pedal-levers are now in an uppermost position the weight of the rider applied on the pedal-levers causes the same to swing downward, and consequently a like downward-swinging motion of the forward end of the lever F takes place, the rear end of said lever F and its seat G swinging in an upward direction. As soonas the pedal-levers L have reached a lowermost position the rider by again taking the seat G lifts the weight off the pedal-levers L and the above-described operation is then repeated, so that a continuous rocking motion is given to the lever F by the rider being alternately seated on the seat G or standing on the pedal-levers L, or vice versa. The rocking motion thus given to the lever F causes the links H to impart a swinging motion to the crank-arms I, so that the shaftJ is turned and the motion of the latter is transmitted by the sprocket-wheels J J and the sprocket-chain J to the axle B", and consequently to the drive-Wheels B, to cause a propulsion of the vehicle in a forward or backward direction.

From the foregoing it is evident that when the rider propels the wheel in the manner described he obtains a very uniform and healthful exercise of the body as well as of the legs owing to the alternate shifting of the weight from the seat to the pedals, or vice versa.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A vehicle provided with a frame, a driving-axle mounted in the frame, an auxiliary frame connected with the main frame and having an approximately-horizontal member and an upwardly-extending member, the said auxiliary frame being connected at the junction of its members with the driving-axle, pedal-levers mounted at the forward end of the horizontal member of the auxiliary frame,

a driving-gear for the driving-axle of the ve hicle, and a seat mounted to swing at the upper part of the upwardly-extending member and connected with the said driving-gear and with the said pedal-levers, substantially as shown and described.

2. A vehicle provided with a main frame, a

vers being connected with the said seat-lever,

substantially as described.

3. A vehicle provided with a main frame havinga uniting piece or block for the lower ends of the frame members, wheels mounted in said frame, an auxiliary frame having members extending upwardly from the rear or driving axle and connected with the main frame and members extending forwardly from the rear axle and located at opposite sides of the uniting-piece for the main-frame members and connected thereto,a seat mount ed to swingat the upper end of the upwardlyextending'members of the auxiliary frame, a driving-gear carried by said upwardly-extending members, and connected with a gear on the rear or driving axle of the vehicle, and pedal-levers carried at the forward ends of the forwardly-extending members of the auxiliary frame, the saidseat being connected with the pedal-levers, and the driving-gear, substantially as described.

4. A vehicle having a main frame comprising front and rear forks for the wheels a center brace upper and lower braces and a uniting piece or block for the frame members, and an auxiliary frame consisting of spaced parallel approximately L-shaped bars connected at the horizontal members with the uniting-piece for the main-frame members, at the junction of the horizontal and upright members, with the driving-axle of the vehicle, and at the upper end of the upright members with the upper brace, the center brace and the rear upper fork, pedal-levers carried by the horizontal members of the auxiliary frame, a driving-gear carried at the lower portion of the upright members of the said auxiliary frame, and a seat-lever provided with a seat and fulcrumed at the junction of the upper end of the upright members with the main frame, the said seat-lever having connection with the driving-gear and with the said pedal-levers, substantially as described.

5. Avehicle having amain frame provided with forks for the wheels, upper and lower braces, a center brace, and a uniting-piece for the frame members, and an auxiliary frame consisting of spaced parallel L-shaped bars for connection with the uniting-piece for the main-frame members, the rear or driving axle, and with the junction of the upper brace, the center brace and the rear upper fork, pedal-levers pivotally connected with the horizontal portion of the auxiliary frame and at a point forward of the connection of said horizontal portion with the unitingpiece, a shaft mounted to turn in the upright members of said auxiliary frame and provided with a sprocket-wheel, a seat-lever pivoted at the upper portion of the upright JAMES PRESTON.

Witnesses:

EDWARD HOLT, CHAS. W. DUTCHER. 

